Astral Dreams
by agent000
Summary: I feel like a ghost, Brother, able to observe you in your daily activites, yet unable to interfere. People tell me that I'm just dreaming, but I feel that it's more than that.
1. Chapter 1

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist._**

"Brother?" Al stopped walking and paused to look around. He knew his brother was around here somewhere. How he knew that, he had no idea, but he just knew somehow. He placed his hand over his brow as if to shield his eyes from the sun, though the only light available at that point in time was the full moon and stars in the sky, and the reflection they cast in the lake below. "Brother, where are you?" he called again, still without an answer. A slight breeze picked up and ruffled his hair, causing him to stop and take a deep breath, enjoying the feeling of the air enveloping him like that. He felt at one with the elements right now, so much so that he had no fear, even of the fact that he hadn't yet seen his brother.

Finally, he turned his gaze to stare across the lake. A small campfire was positioned there, and something prodded him to go towards it. Without even bothering to realize that gravity would logically not allow him to do so, he turned and began running across the surface of the water towards the other side, completely oblivious to what he was doing. At last, he reached the other side, and was able to make out the faces of those that were sitting around the campfire. One of them was definitely his brother, but he couldn't quite place the others. They looked kind of familiar, but they seemed different somehow. It didn't really make sense, but that's what his senses were telling him.

Again, Al called, "Brother?" Ed startled and looked up, out onto the lake, where Al was still standing on top of the water, and let his jaw drop. He thought he was seeing a ghost. Then again, maybe he was, as what he was beholding was an impossible feat.

"A-Al?" Ed cautiously asked, not sure how loud he should make himself, for fear of making the others in his group think he was crazy. Al then smiled at the acknowledgement and threw his arms open wide, continuing to come toward the place where his brother was seated. Ed spoke again. "Al…you…you got back into your body? Did I succeed?"

Al stopped walking and stood in place for a moment. Something had clicked in his mind. Body? Almost as soon as he had thought of the word, he felt a strong pull coming from somewhere, and he was no longer at the scene of the lake, but was hurtling back through space at an extremely rapid pace. He finally slammed down at his destination, gasped for breath, and then opened his eyes and cautiously looked around. He was in his bedroom, back in his teacher's house in Dublith. He hadn't been at the lake after all. The more he thought about it, the less sense having been at that lake made. Heck, he'd even been walking on water without sinking below it, and everyone knew that that was scientifically impossible. He placed his hand over his face and sighed, trying to calm himself down to get back to sleep. It had felt so real, even if it had only been a dream.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Gate, Noah looked up at Edward who was still staring out over the lake and asked him what was wrong. Edward hung his head and sighed. "Oh um…nothing, I guess. I just thought for a second that I'd seen my brother."

Noah smiled a reassuring smile, and placed her hand gently on his shoulder. "You're just manifesting your strong desire to see him. Don't worry, you'll see him again, some day."

Edward shrugged and pulled his cloak even tighter around himself. "I hope you're right."

_What is a dream but a snapshot of reality?  
__What is reality but a vague perception of the truth?  
__If we can fall, we can also fly,  
__For how else would we be able to fall?  
__If we can live, we can die,  
__If we can die, we can live.  
__Forever caught in the current  
__As a seeker of the truth._

**_I hope you liked that, even though it was quite cryptic, heh. I'm going to label this a oneshot unless I get some requests for more chapters. I was just in the mood for writing something short and sweet, heh. Anyway, let me know what you think. Take care, and have a nice day._**


	2. Chapter 2

**_Heh, would you look at that. I decided to update this fic after all, heh. I don't know...I guess I just couldn't help myself, since I experience astral projections a lot myself, hehe. Anyway, hope you enjoy this newest installment. I don't know how many chapters this will end up being. I'll keep marking each new chapter as complete though unless I decide to update it, since it's pretty much just a series of drabbles, heh._**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own FullMetal Alchemist._**

Edward was walking through the woods on the outskirts of town, still quite a bit troubled by the vision he had received earlier. Why had he seen Al standing out on the water like that? If he had just been an illusion, why did he look so clear? Was he just going crazy? Ed thrust his hands deeper into his pockets and turned his head downward to study the ground as he walked over it.

All of a sudden, he had cause to jerk his head back up. He thought for sure that he had heard Al's voice. "A-Al?" he said, barely able to let the word escape his lips. He looked around, but there was no Al in sight, or anyone else for that matter. All those in his group were walking ahead of him, since he had ducked behind to have some room to think. Ed shook his head to clear himself of his thoughts. He was just going crazy, that was all. He needed to get some rest.

Once again, Ed began to walk forward, but was soon stopped in his tracks by the same voice calling for him. He knew that voice. He couldn't mistake that voice for anyone else's, so how could he be imagining it? All the same, there was no possible way it could be Al. Still, he couldn't drive it out of his mind just how real the voice had sounded. He casually glanced around him to once again find that there was no one in sight. Sighing and hanging his head once again, he finally mustered up the courage to whisper, "Al, are you out there?"

Ed waited a good several minutes, but got no response. So he had just been imagining things after all, just like Noah had said. He shrugged and then picked up his pace to catch up with the others. He'd spent more than enough time alone.

That night, as Ed was falling asleep, he once again heard the familiar voice calling to him. This time, as sleep was overtaking him, he couldn't escape it. He wasn't sure if he should fear this voice, even though it was a very familiar, friendly voice, because he was sure people were going to label him crazy. All the same, he was beginning to grow paralyzed by his body shutting down for sleep, and there wasn't a thing that he could do about it.

The next thing he was aware of, he had opened his eyes and saw Al standing in front of him, reaching out his hand and beckoning Ed to take it. Ed saw no reason to not do so, since he knew he had to be dreaming, and he took the hand that was being offered to him.

As soon as they had locked their grip together, Ed found himself hovering way up high over the city. He was about to question how that was even possible, when he remembered that he was dreaming, and decided not to worry about it. Of course, it was a bit odd that he could know that he was dreaming and not wake up, but all the same, he didn't see any cause for alarm.

The two hovered there in place for what seemed like hours, when finally, Al turned to face Ed, and asked, "Brother, are you still alive?"

Ed was a bit taken aback at this comment. What kind of question was that, anyway? Maybe he shouldn't even answer this dream Al's question...but then, he felt so much like he was in his brother's presence. This dream Al was giving him those same puppy dog eyes that his brother had always given him, and he knew he had to give in, as ridiculous a question as it was. He chuckled a bit, self-consciously, and then said, "Uh, yeah...I'm still alive. Why do you ask?"

At this, Al smiled and spontaneously threw his arms around Ed. Edward wondered how they managed to stay afloat over the city when Al was concentrating so hard on squeezing the life out of him...but then, dreams weren't meant to make sense, now were they? Finally, Al released him and held him back by his shoulders, looking excitedly into his eyes. "I knew it!" he practically shouted, "Everyone else says that you're dead, but I knew that that wasn't the case!"

Around this point, Al started displaying something akin to a muffled laugh. Upon closer inspection, Ed discovered that this was caused by an overflow of happy tears cascading down Al's face. Somehow, tears always made it hard to laugh properly, but at least the laughter meant that these were tears of joy.

Edward squirmed. He was perfectly happy to see Al get so excited to see him, no doubt about that, but he couldn't quite put two and two together. If this were merely a dream, as he had been assuming...why was Al acting THIS much like Al? He had never seen a dream portray things this accurately. This dream was beginning to feel all too real, in spite of the fact that they were still floating above the city. Strangely enough, that was beginning to feel real too.

He couldn't take it anymore. He just had to know. He turned and grabbed Al by the shoulders and gently shook him, saying, "Al, tell me, are you real?" It was a rather awkwardly phrased question, but it was the only way he could think of to get it out.

Al blinked a couple times, and then replied by saying, "Yes, Brother...aren't you?"

Ed coughed a couple times, not having expected that question, but managed to nod in response to confirm his existence. Just then, he realized that he had coughed...but he felt like he had no physical mechanism to cough with. That didn't make any sense. He began to examine his body, and suddenly realized that he wasn't breathing either.

His eyes opened wide. That could explain why they were hovering over the city like this...if neither one of them was in their body. So, did that mean that they were dead? What was going on? He frantically began to mentally search for where he had last seen his body, and finally got an image of it sleeping soundly in his bed back at Alphons's place. The image was almost a relief, but as soon as he had thought it, he felt a tugging sensation on the back of his neck, drawing him away, away from Al, back down into the city.

Edward awoke with a start in his own bed and paused a moment to let his heart settle back into place. His thoughts took a little longer to coagulate than his pulse rate, but eventually, they started to pull together as well. Had that all been a dream, or had he really seen Al? None of it made any sense. He sat up for a moment to stretch and yawn, and then he scratched his head. There was no point in trying to figure it out now when he was still so tired. He'd try to figure it out in the morning. With that, he lay back down, rolled over, and went back to sleep.

_Carrying body and soul and embracing the one,  
__Can you avoid separation?  
__Attending fully and becoming supple,  
__Can you be as a newborn babe?  
__Washing and cleansing the primal vision,  
__Can you be without stain?  
__Loving all men and ruling the country,  
__Can you be without cleverness?  
__Opening and closing the gates of heaven,  
__Can you play the role of woman?  
__Understanding and being open to all things,  
__Are you able to do nothing?  
__Giving birth and nourishing,  
__Bearing yet not possessing,  
__Working yet not taking credit,  
__Leading yet not dominating,  
__This is the Primal Virtue._

_--Tao Te Ching, Chapter Ten, Translated by Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English._

**_Hope you liked that. Yeah, for once I used something I didn't write in my fic, heh...I know, very rare for me, but I thought it sounded pretty. ((I'll leave the interpretation up you you, since if I tried to interpret it, I'd slaughter it. It was meant to be deep, heh.)) Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Feel free to leave comments and suggestions, especially if you want me to update. Take care, and hope to see you soon._**


	3. Chapter 3

**_Well...looks like I decided to add yet another chapter to this, heh. Wonder how many I'll end up with eventually? Anyway, I hope that you enjoy this._**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own FullMetal Alchemist._**

Al opened his eyes and proceeded to sit up and stretched while he let out a yawn. What an odd night's sleep he'd had…but then, almost all of his nights were odd. He barely knew how to sleep, and he couldn't figure out why that was, and when he did sleep, he would have odd dreams and experiences.

Sighing, he reached over to the nightstand and grabbed his journal, which he used to keep a record of the strange experiences he'd been having as of late. He flipped the book open to the last page he had written in, and picked up his pencil to start writing.

"_February 15, 1916,"_ he wrote, _"Last night I had another one of those strange dreams about Brother. This time, we actually managed to talk to each other, and he told me that he was still alive. Somehow, that dream felt too real, and I'm starting to wonder if it was really a dream or not. If it wasn't a dream though, what was it?"_

Al paused to contemplate the words he had just written and let the eraser of his pencil unconsciously rub against his chin. He licked his lips as a sort of distraction, and then set the pencil to the paper once again to write.

"_I'm going to see if I can deliberately cause one of those dream things to happen tonight. I've noticed that my soul tends to be easily detachable from my body, and I'm starting to wonder if this has anything to do with it."_

He paused again. He knew he should probably write a good close for the entry in his journal, but he couldn't think of anything relevant to write at present, not that journal entries needed relevant things to be written in them. In all honesty, his mind was just too full to write, and he needed to sort it out first. Heaving a sigh, Al slammed the book shut and set it on the nightstand, and then quickly got dressed to go outside for a walk. He'd see what happened that evening.

Later on, when it was finally time for him to go to sleep, he repeated his mantra from earlier that day, in that he was going to intentionally cause one of those dream things-he still didn't know what to call these experiences-to happen. Closing his eyes, he visualized himself standing next to his brother as intensely as he possibly could, even reaching out and touching him. That felt good to him; even though he knew that he wasn't really touching his brother. It was just nice to think about doing so, since he couldn't remember the last time the two of them had had any sort of physical contact.

Al couldn't resist himself, and soon the corners of his mouth were curved into a smile as the visual panorama played out in his mind. His breathing slowed down to that of a sleeping person, though he still felt wide awake, and his entire being began shaking just slightly. That was really odd. He had never felt that before, and he wasn't sure if that was a good thing to feel…but then, this was an experiment on his part, so he was going to see it through.

It wasn't long after that that his consciousness faded out as he fell into sleep, hoping for the dream to hit him soon. The next thing he knew, he had opened his eyes, thinking that he'd failed in his attempt, only to realize that the ceiling was much closer to him than it was supposed to be. His body felt different to him as well. It felt really good…but…odd. Curiosity got the better of him, and he turned himself around, and was surprised to find what appeared to be another Al still lying soundly asleep in his bed, while he himself was floating above in the air. How could that be possible? Was he dead? No, the other Al was still breathing, so he wasn't dead. Perhaps this was one of those dream things he had wanted, but it was acting differently this time.

Al perked up at that thought. If this was one of those dream experiences, then he hadn't failed, and he might indeed be able to see his brother once again. He reached his hand up to touch the ceiling. Yes, that felt quite real…but if this was indeed a dream… He placed the tiniest bit more pressure on his hand and his mouth dropped open as his hand penetrated the ceiling. He had to have been dreaming!

"This is…awesome!" Al said to himself, not sure what was going on, but enjoying the experience, nonetheless. "I wonder if I can go see Brother this way." No sooner had he articulated his wish than he suddenly found himself in a strange house…the same one that he had been in the previous night, for that matter. Perhaps his brother was here again?

Al began to casually explore the place, completely intrigued by how real everything felt. This was certainly no ordinary dream, and he wanted to enjoy every moment of it. A cough behind him snapped him out of his thoughts, and he spun around, and once again, his jaw dropped. He knew that he had to be dreaming for sure once he saw that face. That boy looked exactly like him! Well…almost. He was a few years older by appearance, and his hair and eye color were slightly off. The boy also had a bad case of coughing, and Al couldn't help but feel sorry for him, even if this boy was eerily like himself.

Just then, Ed walked into the room, saying, "Alfons, I-" and then suddenly cut himself off. He was staring in wonder in Al's direction, looking like he had a combination of hope, perplexity, and fear written across his face all at once.

"What's the matter, Edward?" asked the boy that looked too similar to Al.

"Oh," said Ed, startled back to reality, "Um, nothing…nothing." He turned and walked out of the room without asking what he had come in to ask, chancing just one more glance in the direction that he had looked when he came into the room.

Al noticed the intention and a weak smile crossed his lips. "I understand, Brother…but you're not crazy. I really am here…I think…" With that last thought, Al closed his eyes and found himself back in his own body, quite tired from his little trip, but feeling extremely exhilarated. Had that been a dream, or was it something more? He was going to have to find out. He may have been physically separated from his brother, but at least he could make contact with him in his dreams.

_Come, spring over the sun with me.  
Come, my brother, and run with me.  
I just want to see your face.  
Together we will leave this place._

_Trapped in the land where dreams do roam.  
So close and yet, so far from home.  
We live in the land where dreams take flight.  
I live for when I bed down for the night._

_So let me take you and teach you to soar.  
Stay by my side for just a bit more.  
This is all that I know how to give.  
This is all I can do while I live._

_So come, my brother, come fly with me.  
I'll show you things you would never see.  
A world where all is pure and bright.  
A world where dark gives place to light._

_A world in which our dreams are real.  
A world in which our pain will heal.  
It's not much to give, this astral place,  
But it's the only way I can see your face._

_So come with me, spring over the sun.  
Come join me when your day is done.  
Shed all your pains, your worries, and fears,  
Purge yourself with an offering of tears._

_As I have said, there's not much I can do,  
But this is the gift I can offer to you.  
If you wish our minds to meet as one,  
Then come and join me beyond the sun._

**_Hope you enjoyed that. And yes, I wrote that poem, heh. I knew you'd probably ask, so I answered for you. I just got inspired one day when I was looking at the iMovie icon, and somehow, this whole poem came from that. How one can get inspired for a poem like this from an icon like that, I have no idea, but it happened, hehe. Anyway, feel free to let me know what you think, and thanks for reading. Take care, and have a nice day._**


End file.
